Voices Carry – ‘Til Tuesday | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#8); 1985
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
As an undergrad at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Aimee Mann studied bass, formed punk band the Young Snakes, then bailed out of school. Post-Snakes, Aimee and drummer Michael Hausman, a fellow Berklee-ite and boy friend, became the core of ‘Til Tuesday; a name which, rumors to the contrary, was not inspired by a David Bowie lyric nor does it hold a hidden meaning.
A battle-of-the bands radio contest led to a major label deal. By then Mann and Hausman’s romance was on the rocks which provided “inspiration” for a number of songs on the quartet’s debut album, although exactly which ones is not clear since all four received songwriting credits.
Mike Thorne – then famous for Soft Cell’s massive classic 1980’s hit Tainted Love – produced Voices Carry. The compelling video, in which Aimee escapes from an abusive lover, added impact to the haunting lyrics and boosted sales, through its heavy rotation on MTV.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Mike Thorne
Lyrics Written by:
- Robert Holmes
- Aimee Mann
- Michael Hausman
- Joey Pesce
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).